Not Talking About It
by q-siam
Summary: John and Rodney are both horrible at dealing with people. McShep fluff


"It's really next week? Dammit."

Rodney bounced on his heels nervously where he stood in front of the calendar in his room. He stood like that for a few more moments before deciding he should suck up his pride and ask for help. He walked around for a bit, asking for Teyla and eventually caught up with her walking through a hall and fell into pace with her.

"Hey, Teyla!"

"Yes, doctor?"

"It's going to be Sheppard's birthday soon and I wanted to get him something... Special... Because, well... You know..."

Teyla cocked an eyebrow. "Why, exactly?"

"Well, now that we're... You know...."

"No, I do not know."

"Now that we're... Together."

"Together?"

"Like... Dating, I guess."

"You and the Colonel? I didn't know. You never told me."

"Well, we never really told anyone. We weren't hiding it; I guess we just expected it to be obvious. It's been going on for a while. I mean, everyone else knows."

"Really?"

"I think so..."

"If you're so concerned, maybe you should talk to him about it."

Rodney froze. Teyla paused to wait for him to catch up, but when it became apparent he had no intention of doing so, she moved on.

"Huh."

"Dr. Weir."

Elizabeth looked up from where she was conversing with the crew in charge of 'gate operation before lowering her head again, saying a few more words and making her way over to Teyla.

"Yes, Teyla, what is it?"

"Were you aware that Dr. McKay and Colonel Sheppard were in a relationship?"

"...No, I had no idea. Who told you this?"

"Dr. McKay did. He said he needed help finding a suitable present for the Colonel's birthday."

"Oh. Well. That's... Good for them, I suppose. When did it start? Recently?"

"I'm not sure exactly, but Dr. McKay said it has been going on for a while."

Elizabeth tilted her head.

"Huh."

"Colonel Sheppard!"

John turned and looked up to face Elizabeth as she jogged up to where he was seated in the mess hall. Her curls bounced a little around her head and when she finally got to him she stood stiffly at the side of his table.

"I just got some interesting news from Teyla."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"That you and Dr. McKay are in a relationship."

"I hadn't been aware that was news. Or at least not new news."

"Would you care to tell me why you felt the need to keep it a secret for so long?"

"Wasn't a secret. Actually, I thought you knew."

"Well, I didn't. And neither did Teyla."

"I sorry?"

"I just... Feel that maybe you should talk with Kate about it. About why you hadn't spoken about it before."

"I don't know, Elizabeth, that sounds..."

"Colonel, I know how I phrased it, but you might not want to confuse that for a suggestion. I really think that it would help you to talk about it."

"I hadn't known... that I needed help with this."

Elizabeth left before he could finish his sentence, though.

"Huh."

"Dr. Heightmeyer?"

Kate blinked as her eyes adjusted from the bright of the papers she'd been going over to the darker shades of Colonel Sheppard in her doorway.

"Yes, Colonel?"

"Dr. Weir sent me in here. Told me she thought I should talk to you. And also that it wasn't a suggestion."

Kate smiled understandingly. "You don't feel the same."

"I don't think there's anything to talk about. Just because Elizabeth doesn't pay attention to anything that happens in her city doesn't mean I have a problem."

"What sort of problem does she think you have?"

"I'm not sure. Something about how I didn't tell her about Rodney."

"What about Dr. McKay?"

"I mean, it's not like it was a secret. Everybody knows, right?"

"Knows what?"

"Yeah, everybody has to know. We've been so obvious."

"About what, Colonel?"

"We're always together, we even hold hands sometimes. Well, okay, maybe not in front of people too often, but we do. People see it. It's not my problem, it's hers."

"What, exactly, is this about?"

"Rodney."

"We're talking about Dr. McKay again?"

"No, we're still talking about Rodney. Have you even been listening? I just wish I knew what brought this all on."

"Well, maybe you should talk to someone about it. Someone that knows what's going on. Dr. McKay, perhaps?"

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Doc."

Sheppard stood up so quickly it left her feeling a little dizzy. The whole conversation had gone by so fast that she really wasn't sure what it had been about, but her head sorted itself out as she realized what Sheppard had been talking about, and that he and McKay were in a relationship.

"Huh."

"What happened?"

Rodney jerked up quickly and shut his laptop. He didn't want Sheppard to see him surfing for his present, that would give the surprise away.

"What do you mean, Colonel?"

"I mean, why is everybody acting the way they are?"

"I know you seem to think that I know the answer to everything, which is likely very true, but even I need a little more specifics."

"Elizabeth made me go see Heightmeyer!"

"What, why?"

"I don't know, that's what I'm asking you! What did you say to her?"

"Nothing, I haven't spoken to Elizabeth at all today. What did you need to see Kate about?"

"I didn't, that's my point. Elizabeth practically forced me to."

"About what?"

"You!"

"Oh, so you automatically think its my fault?"

"Well, it was about you! What else am I supposed to think?"

"Right, because if there's a problem its McKay's fault. Doesn't matter if I actually did anything, I'm just the one who has to fix everything."

Sheppard growled and pushed violently away from the desk Rodney was working at.

"Maybe Elizabeth is right! Maybe I do need help. Maybe my problem is that I ever thought it would be a good idea to date you!"

Rodney winced as Sheppard covered the distance to the door in record time and slammed it shut after he made his way out. That had been what the conversation was about? Sheppard didn't want to be with him anymore? Rodney's throat felt dry and he blinked back tears. He pushed his laptop away. Sheppard probably didn't want a present from him anyway.

"Huh."

"Hey, Carson?"

Carson's eyes ached from looking through microscopes all day and he was infinitely grateful for the excuse to take a break, even if it was just listening to Rodney complain. But as his head lifted away from the samples he'd been observing, it finally registered that the tone Rodney had used was one he wasn't used to hearing. Quiet, soft, tentative. Hurt. His expression was no better at hiding his emotions than his voice and Carson felt sympathy run through him at the sight.

"What's wrong, Rodney?"

"I was just... wondering... if we could go do something? Like, get something to eat... or watch a movie?"

"Of course, Rodney. But what happened?"

"It's just... I think... I think Sheppard just broke up with me."

Carson blinked. "I... I dinnot know that you and Colonel Sheppard had been dating."

"I... What? Of course we have, for a while now. How come you two didn't know? It's not like it was some big secret."

"You two?"

"Yeah, Teyla didn't know, either. What, have you been living under a rock together these past few months?"

"Rodney?"

"Yeah?"

"How many people, exactly, have you told?"

"Told? No one, really, it's just one of those things people pick up on."

Carson blinked again, frozen where he sat. He wondered briefly whether Rodney knew just how few people actually could pick up on that, especially between those two. Probably no one. If their relationship had changed at all in the past few months, it had only gotten more insulting. Was that how the two showed their affection? It wouldn't surprise him. Both of them were completely clueless when it came to relationships. He thought better of saying anything, though.

"Huh."

"Radek. Hey, wake up, already."

Radek groaned and wished he'd been smart enough to move to his own quarters to take a nap instead of conserving time and taking the couch in the lounge closest to the lab. Carson stood above him looking a little hopeless and dazed, eyes pointed at the area above the couch but not focused on anything in particular as far as Radek could tell.

"What do you need, Carson?"

"Did you know that Rodney and the Colonel were dating?"

Radek jerked into a mostly vertical position, eyes still half-lidded from sleep. "They're what now?"

"Nothing, anymore, apparently. Rodney said the Colonel broke up with him."

"No, I didn't..."

The silence stretched for minutes, Carson's dazed look never fading and even Radek himself completely lost in his own thoughts. Carson eventually wandered away.

"Huh."

The news of both the relationship and break up spread like wildfire through Atlantis. When they were near McKay or Sheppard, people didn't generally talk about it directly, although McKay received a large number of mysterious, sympathetic shoulder-claps and people wherever he went glared Sheppard out of the room (except for a few that stopped to give him cryptic, understanding comments. Sheppard, on the other hand, didn't understand at all.) Teyla, however, having spent the majority of the day on the mainland with her people during some rare time off, had missed most of this.

"Doctor!"

Rodney winced and prepared himself for more condolences. He felt like all of the sympathetic people were actually cheapening the whole painful experience (mostly because many of the people didn't have any idea what they were talking about and said things that made no sense and in no way comforted Rodney at all.) He relaxed a little when he saw it was Teyla, but he wasn't entirely unwary.

"Teyla."

"Did you talk with Colonel Sheppard?"

Rodney stiffened. "Yes."

"That's good. Did you figure out what he wanted?"

"Anything but me, apparently."

"What does that mean? Did something happen?"

"Oh, nothing. I only had my heart ripped out."

"I'm sorry. What happened?"

"Well, Sheppard came and yelled at me and said that he would have to be crazy to want to be with me."

"Excuse me, doctor."

Rodney nodded, not really paying attention to her anymore and instead focusing on reigning in his tears.

"Colonel!"

John jumped, prepared for another onslaught of insults from people for God knows what reason. He wasn't sure what he had done, but they had successfully made him wish he hadn't. When he caught sight of Teyla, though, he smiled. Finally, a friendly face.

"Teyla. Good to see you."

"It is not as pleasant for me, unfortunately."

"Teyla?"

"Why did you say that, Colonel?"

"Say what? Teyla? Because it's your name."

"No, I mean, why did you say what you did to Dr. McKay?"

"What'd I say?"

"You honestly don't know?"

"No, I don't."

"That makes it much worse. How could you hurt him so badly and not even know what you did?"

"Well, I don't. I'm sorry? It might help if you would explain."

"You insulted him very severely, to the point where I fear I may not be able to forgive you. I... don't think I can talk to you right now, Colonel."

She turned on her heel and walked away, leaving John more confused than ever.

John spent the rest of the day penned up in his quarters, away from judging eyes. Well, at least now he knew the problem had something to do with Rodney. Maybe he could think of a solution. He toyed with the idea of talking it out with Rodney for a while before finally discarding it because he couldn't remember a single time in his life when talking it out had ever succeeded in making a situation better. At the thought, he snorted. Actually, it usually just made the situation worse. John was still for a moment after that thought struck him before he slapped himself on the forehead. Duh.

John worked his way through the crowds of people (some actually booed at him) to get to Rodney as fast as he could. When he finally did, he froze, suddenly nervous and desperate not to mess this up.

Rodney...

Neither said anything for a while after that. It was actually Rodney who broke the silence, though.

"About the..."

"Yeah?"

"Are we...?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

They both smiled. Carson and Teyla, who had been in the room attempting to cheer Rodney up (and failing horribly), were perplexed beyond all reason, but Carson, who knew how completely atrocious they both were at dealing with people, figured that that was probably why they worked so well together. Other people couldn't understand it, but, well, neither of them had ever understood other people very well.

Rodney sat fidgeting on Sheppard s bed, waiting for him to settle in after the long day. Sheppard shrugged off the heavy vest and moved to sit next to Rodney.

"What'd you want to talk to me about?"

"I, uh, I actually wanted to give you something. Happy birthday."

"No way. You didn't need to get me anything. I didn t even think you d remember."

"Of course I remembered. So, I, uh... I got you this."

"...Thank you, Rodney."

"You, uh, like it?"

"Of course I like it. Even if I hated it, I'd like it."

"Thanks. That's real comforting."

"What I mean is, I already had everything I wanted."

"Oh... Well, sorry... I just..."

"No, Rodney, listen. I mean you're all I want."

"W-I mean, really?"

"Of course."

"I..."

"Come here. Thank you, Rodney."

"For the...?"

"No. For the best birthday present ever."


End file.
